Game apparatus.



No. 768,397. 7 Y PA TENTED AUG.2s, 1904. G. W. NORTON & J. MARGH.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION'I'I-LED P33. 4, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

71552268 66..- wim "UNITED ,JSTATES Patented August 23, 1904(- FPATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w.NoRToN AND JERRY- MARCH, or PHILADELPHIA, PENN- .SYLVANIA. J

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 768,397, dated August 23, 1904.

Application filed February 4, 1904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. NORTON and JERRY MARCH, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and amusing game-board apparatus, and has for its object to provide a game -board having openings formed therein at which the players are to pitch weights, balls, or other objects and the count is made according to the opening in which the balls or weights are thrown or pitched, and one of the openings through the board is made to represent a head or a human being or an animal, the normal position of the head being with the mouth wide open,- and when one of the weights or balls is thrown into the mouth the mouth is adapted to close automatically and then open again, the ball or weight passing downward to the lower end of the board.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and-use the same, the construction-and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved game-board; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the same.

A represents the game-board, which is preferably supported at an angle.

B represents a head formed upon the upper surface of the game-board. i

C is the lower jaw of the head, which lower jaw is pivoted at the point C, and this portion representing the lower jaw is so balanced as to normally remain open; but if a weight or ball is thrown into the mouth and strikes the heel end C of the jaw it willoverbalance the portion 0, representing the lower jaw, so

Serial No. 192,052. (No model.)

that the forward portion of the jaw will be rocked upward, giving the appearance of the closing of the mouth, and then as the ball or weight'slides ofi of the heel end of the jaw the jaw will return to its normal position and the ball or weight will slide down the chute D to the pocket E at the lower end, where the balls or weights may be collected. There may be a number of other openings F formed through the board or connected at the rear to the chute D. If the openingsF are connected to the chute D, said chute will be wide enough to include said openings.

We do not wish to be limited .to any particular shape of board or number of openings formed therethrough', as the .gist of our invention consists in providing a game-board with the representation of a head having a movable lower jaw which is closed automatically as a weight or ball is thrown into the open mouth. Therefore we do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is 1. A game apparatus consisting of a board, a head represented upon the upper surface of said board, the lower jaw of said head being movable'and pivoted, said lower jaw beingso balanced as to normally remain downward giving the appearance of an open mouth, a heel end provided on the lower jaw at the rear of the pivot,- said heel end adapted to be depressed by a weight or ball thrown into the open mouth so as to give the appearance of the mouth closing, the heel end of the lower jaw being so arranged that when the jaw is closed the weight or ball will slide off said heel end to allow the jaw to return to its normal .position, as specified.

2. In a game apparatus, a board adapted to be held stationary upon an incline, a series of openings formed through said board, a chute arranged at the rear of the board communicating with all the openings adapted to convey any balls or weights thrown through the openings to a point at the lower end of the board, one of the openings through the board being represented by an open mouth of an allow the ball or weight to slide from oil the animal, the lower jaw of said headbeing pivheel end into the ehutejas specified.

oted and s0 balanced that the forward end of In testimony whereof we have hereunto atthe lower jaw will remain downward norfixed our signatures in the presence of two 5 mally, the heel end of said jaw adapted to be subscribing witnesses.

depressedby the weight of the ball or weight GEORGE \V. NOR'LON. thrown into the open mouth so as to raise the JERRY MARCH. forward end of the jaw, and when the for- Witnesses:

ward end of the jaw is raised the heel end of CHAS. \V. IRVIN,

IO the jaw will be inclined downward so as to L. LIMORRISON. 

